Yoon Hosts South Korea for 2 Hours 37 Minutes Lunch and Talk
No Discussion on Kim Geon-hee's Allegations
Presidential Office: "A Gathering for Party-Government Harmony"
President Yoon Suk-yeol is having lunch and conversing with Han Dong-hoon, Emergency Response Committee Chairman of the People Power Party, and Yoon Jae-ok, Floor Leader, among others, at the Yongsan Presidential Office building in Seoul on the 29th. [Image source=Yonhap News]
President Yoon Suk-yeol and the leadership of the People Power Party reaffirmed on the 29th their stance that negotiations in the National Assembly must continue to ensure that small business owners do not face difficulties amid the expanded enforcement of the Serious Accidents Punishment Act (Serious Accidents Punishment Act).
On the same day, President Yoon invited Han Dong-hoon, the Emergency Committee Chairman of the People Power Party, and Yoon Jae-ok, the floor leader, to the Yongsan Presidential Office and emphasized party-government cooperation during a luncheon, saying, "The party and government must double their efforts to improve the livelihood issues that the public can feel."
In the afternoon, President Yoon invited Chairman Han and Floor Leader Yoon to the Presidential Office and shared a luncheon for about two hours. The luncheon was attended by Lee Gwan-seop, Chief of Staff to the President, Han Oh-seop, Senior Secretary for Political Affairs, and Lee Do-woon, Senior Secretary for Public Relations.
This was the first time President Yoon invited Chairman Han to the Yongsan Presidential Office for a luncheon since Han accepted the Emergency Committee Chairman position on December 26 last year.
After sharing the luncheon for two hours, President Yoon and Chairman Han moved to the office and continued their conversation for an additional 37 minutes.
President Yoon, Chairman Han, and Floor Leader Yoon engaged in in-depth discussions on various livelihood issues, including housing, undergrounding of railroads, and transportation. Housing and railroads are key government policy issues that President Yoon has discussed in public forums on livelihood.
They also expressed concerns about the recent series of attacks on politicians. President Yoon explained that he instructed relevant ministries to promptly prepare countermeasures.
Regarding the enforcement of the Serious Accidents Punishment Act, they agreed to continue negotiations in the National Assembly to ensure that small business owners do not face difficulties.
President Yoon Suk-yeol is seen conversing with Han Dong-hoon, the Emergency Response Committee Chairman, while looking out the window during a luncheon with the People Power Party leadership at the Yongsan Presidential Office building in Seoul on the 29th. [Image source=Yonhap News]
However, the Presidential Office stated that no response measures related to allegations against First Lady Kim Keon-hee were discussed during the luncheon.
A Presidential Office official told Asia Economy in a phone interview, "No discussions related to responses to allegations against the First Lady took place during the luncheon," adding, "Since the meeting between the President and Chairman Han in Seocheon on the 23rd, the gathering was mainly focused on dialogue about livelihood issues to promote party-government harmony."
Floor Leader Yoon, upon returning to the National Assembly, said in a briefing, "Response measures related to the First Lady's allegations were not discussed during the luncheon," and "We talked a lot about livelihood issues today."
When asked about discussions related to the general election, Floor Leader Yoon said, "Today was not a meeting to discuss election-related matters but mainly about livelihood issues and the situation in the National Assembly related to livelihoods," adding, "There was no mention of the Itaewon disaster special law or Emergency Committee member Kim Kyung-yul."
Floor Leader Yoon added, "The Presidential Office arranged the meal and invited us in that format," and "Regarding the Serious Accidents Punishment Act, negotiations are underway with Hong Ik-pyo, the floor leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, to postpone the expanded enforcement."
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